Water Heater Questions
- I got a
price from you to replace a water heater, and then I asked someone else about it and they said they paid a lot less.
How come you charge so much?
Times have changed. First, water heaters have changed. New water heaters have an all-new design which is intended to prevent unintended ignition of combustible vapors. See this link for more information: C3 Technology. This has added significant cost to a water heater. With these newer heaters, installation requirements are much more exacting in regards to combustion-air requirements and proper venting. Due to the new design, the day has passed when the local handyman could simply disconnect your old heater and roll a new one in its place. It may work for a while, but it will start to malfunction in short order.
Every water heater we install gets a permit from the local jurisdiction so that all of our installations pass an inspection. In addition, we install dielectric unions, isolation ball valves, add Class “B” vent material and install a chimney liner, if required. Whenever you get a quote for a water heater replacement, ask if the job will have a permit and be inspected, because if it is, it will have to meet more stringent requirements assuring you of a safer, longer lasting installation. - My water heater pops, rumbles & it makes noises that scare me. Is this
dangerous?
No…. it’s just really annoying, especially at night if you have just finished a shower and are settled in for the night. It is usually due to a buildup of lime sediment at the bottom of the tank, and can sometimes be cured by flushing the tank, though this is often more easily said than done. By the time you have that much lime in the bottom of your tank, it is difficult to flush (the drain is at the bottom of the tank & gets blocked by lime too). The other is that you have to find a place to drain all the water off as you flush the tank. Other than that, it is pretty simple. Here’s the link to A.O. Smith’s website, where you can get complete instructions in the FAQ section plus a lot of other answers to questions you may want to ask, like “Why does my hot water smell like rotten eggs”? The link: A.O. Smith